The 45th Capablanca Memorial tournament held Havana last month continues a strong Cuban chess tradition. Jose Raoul Capablanca was the world champion from 1921 to 1927 and the pre-revolutionary government of the time engaged him in the diplomatic sinecure of travelling the world, playing chess, and promoting Cuba. However it was the Castro regime which established the memorial event to its greatest ever player in 1962. Che Guevara, a keen chess player himself, sponsored the tournament in his capacity as director of the National Bank and Minister of Industries, making it the best paid tournament in the world. A tradition grew of top soviet grandmasters coming to play against the best of the West and the cream of Cuba in the elite event, with a large open tournament alongside catering for the less gifted. Even the great Booby Fischer took part in 1965, despite being barred from travelling to Cuba by the US State Department. He played his games by telex from New York in defiance of the ban.
The 2010 edition had a small elite double round robin of just six players, but the traditional strength and mix of players was maintained. Final scores: 1st Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) 7/10, 2nd Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) 6, 3rd= Nigel Short (England) and Leinier Dominguez (Cuba) 5½, 5th= Evgeny Alekseev (Russia) and Lazaro Bruzon (Cuba) 3.
Today's game from the 8th round features former world challenger Nigel Short (White) going down to a magnificent combination by 20 year old Russian rising star, Nepomniatchi.
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 Nc6 4.Nf3 g6 5.d4 ---
Switching back to a conventional Sicilian Dragon, though the pawn on f4 avoids the deep theory surrounding the Yugoslav Attack. 5.--- cxd4 6.Nxd4 Bg7 7.Be3 Nf6 8.Be2 Bd7 9.Nb3 Rc8 10.O-O O-O 11.Qe1 ---
A common queen manoeuvre in the Sicilian, making way for the rook at d1, supporting the knight on c3 and able to swing to the kingside. 11.--- a6 12.Kh1 b5 13.Rd1 Nb4 14.Rd2 Nxc2!?
A novel idea – investing a pawn by this temporary piece sacrifice to activate his pieces against the weakened White pawns. A more typical sacrifice here might be 14...Rxc3!? but after 15 bxc3 Nxa2 16 Qa1 Nxc3 17 Qxc3 Nxe4 18 Qb4 Nxd2 19 Qxd2 the three extra pawns are not likely to compensate for the lost piece. 15.Rxc2 b4 16.Bxa6 Ra8 17.Bd3 bxc3 18.bxc3 Ra4 19.e5 Nd5 20.Bd4 Bc6 21.Rd2 Qa8
Ominously lining up a battery on the long diagonal. 22.exd6 exd6 23.Bxg7 Re8! 24.Qa1 Ne3! 25.Rg1? ---
Black's last two zwischenzugs in place of the mundane recapture on g7 draw the error from White, setting up a coup de grace. Instead 25 Bd4! Bxg2+ 26 Kg1 Bxf1 27 Bxf1 Nxf1 28 Qxf1 Rxa2 29 f5 Re4 30 h3 and White survives despite his porous kingside. 25.--- Nxg2!!
Also winning was 25...Bxg2!! 26 Rgxg2 Nxg2 with many complex variations. 26.Rgxg2 Rxa2! 27.Rxa2 Qxa2 28.Bf1 ---
Or 28 Qxa2 Re1+ mating. 28.--- Bxg2+
White resigns due to 29 Bxg2 Qxa1+ 30 Nxa1 Re1+ 31 Bf1 Kxg7 and one of his remaining pieces is lost.
Cuban chess tradition
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
The 45th Capablanca Memorial tournament held Havana last month continues a strong Cuban chess tradition. Jose Raoul Capablanca was the world champion from 1921 to 1927 and the pre-revolutionary government of the time engaged him in the diplomatic sinecure of travelling the world, playing chess, and promoting Cuba. However it was the Castro regime which established the memorial event to its greatest ever player in 1962. Che Guevara, a keen chess player himself, sponsored the tournament in his capacity as director of the National Bank and Minister of Industries, making it the best paid tournament in the world. A tradition grew of top soviet grandmasters coming to play against the best of the West and the cream of Cuba in the elite event, with a large open tournament alongside catering for the less gifted. Even the great Booby Fischer took part in 1965, despite being barred from travelling to Cuba by the US State Department. He played his games by telex from New York in defiance of the ban.
The 2010 edition had a small elite double round robin of just six players, but the traditional strength and mix of players was maintained. Final scores: 1st Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) 7/10, 2nd Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) 6, 3rd= Nigel Short (England) and Leinier Dominguez (Cuba) 5½, 5th= Evgeny Alekseev (Russia) and Lazaro Bruzon (Cuba) 3.
Today's game from the 8th round features former world challenger Nigel Short (White) going down to a magnificent combination by 20 year old Russian rising star, Nepomniatchi.
1.e4 c5
2.Nc3 d6
3.f4 Nc6
4.Nf3 g6
5.d4 ---
Switching back to a conventional Sicilian Dragon, though the pawn on f4 avoids the deep theory surrounding the Yugoslav Attack.
5.--- cxd4
6.Nxd4 Bg7
7.Be3 Nf6
8.Be2 Bd7
9.Nb3 Rc8
10.O-O O-O
11.Qe1 ---
A common queen manoeuvre in the Sicilian, making way for the rook at d1, supporting the knight on c3 and able to swing to the kingside.
11.--- a6
12.Kh1 b5
13.Rd1 Nb4
14.Rd2 Nxc2!?
A novel idea – investing a pawn by this temporary piece sacrifice to activate his pieces against the weakened White pawns. A more typical sacrifice here might be 14...Rxc3!? but after 15 bxc3 Nxa2 16 Qa1 Nxc3 17 Qxc3 Nxe4 18 Qb4 Nxd2 19 Qxd2 the three extra pawns are not likely to compensate for the lost piece.
15.Rxc2 b4
16.Bxa6 Ra8
17.Bd3 bxc3
18.bxc3 Ra4
19.e5 Nd5
20.Bd4 Bc6
21.Rd2 Qa8
Ominously lining up a battery on the long diagonal.
22.exd6 exd6
23.Bxg7 Re8!
24.Qa1 Ne3!
25.Rg1? ---
Black's last two zwischenzugs in place of the mundane recapture on g7 draw the error from White, setting up a coup de grace. Instead 25 Bd4! Bxg2+ 26 Kg1 Bxf1 27 Bxf1 Nxf1 28 Qxf1 Rxa2 29 f5 Re4 30 h3 and White survives despite his porous kingside.
25.--- Nxg2!!
Also winning was 25...Bxg2!! 26 Rgxg2 Nxg2 with many complex variations.
26.Rgxg2 Rxa2!
27.Rxa2 Qxa2
28.Bf1 ---
Or 28 Qxa2 Re1+ mating.
28.--- Bxg2+
White resigns due to 29 Bxg2 Qxa1+ 30 Nxa1 Re1+ 31 Bf1 Kxg7 and one of his remaining pieces is lost.
0-1
Solution: 1 Qg7+!! Bxg7 2 hxg7+ Kg8 3 Nh6#.